Dr. Oz’s DIY Produce Cleaner

When I head to the grocery store or farmers market I am always loading up on fresh fruits and vegetables. I find the more of them I keep at home, the more ways I find to use them. In the past I would buy store bought sprays to help clean them until I read Dr. Oz’s produce wash recipe. They are all ingredients I always have on hand. This simple DIY spray has white vinegar, which has natural anti-bacterial properties, baking soda, which is well known as a natural household cleaning product, and lemon juice, which gives it a pleasant smell and is a natural astringent. The lemon juice may also help the shelf life of your produce. So instead of spending $5 a bottle, or more, of store bought produce wash, try this recipe.

1 cup of water

1 cup distilled white vinegar

1 tbsp. baking soda

1/2 lemon, juiced

Combine all the ingredients in a large spray bottle. Spray onto produce and let it sit for 5 minutes. Scrub and rinse.

While we are at it, let’s talk about the dirty dozen and the clean 15. The dirty dozen are the items with the most pesticides. You should be sure to buy these organic when possible. The clean 15 have the least amounts of pesticides so you do not have to spend the extra on money for organic.

THE DIRTY DOZEN

Apples (the pesticide residue also showed up in apple juice, and apple sauce)

I think Whole Foods is the same as any other store, and the only way to be certain food is not contaminated with pesticides is to buy organic. I’ve never read or heard any different but look into it. I still clean everything, even if it is organic. There’s just no telling how many hands have touched the produce!

about green plate rule

The goal of the Green Plate Rule is to help reverse the growing number of children and adults with obesity, diabetes, and other health related problems through a healthy diet. We can do this through awareness of what is in food, how to prepare simple and healthy meals, and getting children involved in the kitchen. learn more...